Trinidad and Tobago – Cops Crack Card Skimming Ring

A massive operation by Fraud Squad on Thursday led to the arrest and charges against three people in connection with multi-million dollar credit card fraud, card skimming and phishing ring activity across the country.

The trio, Akeil Sullivan and Jenna John, of Embaccadere, San Fernando and Melissa Carrington, of Lady Hailes Avenue, San Fernando, were charged yesterday by Fraud Squad officers following months of investigations associated with the skimming of bank cards.

According to a police source, for several months Fraud Squad Unit officers, led by Snr Supt Totaram Dookhie, ASP Ken Ghisyawan, Insp Dipchand, Sgt Samuel and WPC Adams, were engaged in an intensive and extensive investigation and had gathered intelligence into a big credit/debit card fraud ring.

The officers, not wanting to disclose too many details, said yesterday that after gathering sufficient evidence, they went to an undisclosed location where they made the bust and arrested the three on Thursday. Two electronic skimmers and a sophisticated card maker were also seized, police said.

Further investigations are being conducted and a fourth person is expected to be charged soon.

The accused were charged with three counts for possession of forged drivers’ permits, trafficking three counterfeit cards and possession of card making equipment.

Police described the equipment as “sophisticated machines.”

This bust came on the heels of another recent exercise of similar nature, where seven foreign nationals from Bolivia, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Spain and the United Kingdom were arrested and charged. Some of the foreigners have already been convicted and imprisoned.